Cyclone Dana rains lash Kolkata, likely to become ‘severe storm’; national forces, West Bengal govt prepare

The districts apt to acquisition the storm’s harshest effects see South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur, on with coastal areas and neighbouring districts similar Paschim Medinipur, Bankura, Jhargram, and Hooghly. The West Bengal authorities is bracing for the storm’s impact, having already asked schools successful 8 districts to stay closed from October 23 to 26. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has placed those districts, including East Midnapore, North and South 24 Parganas, and Kolkata, connected precocious alert. Integrated 24×7 power rooms person been established astatine authorities and territory levels to “monitor the situation” and coordinate responses, Banerjee told media connected Tuesday, adding: “We are afloat prepared to tackle this cyclone, and our authorities is taking each indispensable steps.”

Meanwhile, 14 National Disaster Response Force (NDRF teams) successful West Bengal are connected standby. The Indian Coast Guard said it is connected precocious alert and has mobilised “extensive oversea and aerial patrols successful coordination with the (IMD)”, deploying ships to shepherd sportfishing boats and different vessels to enactment connected the eastbound coast. Tourists and pilgrims from coastal areas person been asked to leave. All up-down trains connected the Sealdah South enactment and Barasat-Hasnabad enactment person been cancelled from 8 p.m. connected Thursday to 10 americium connected Friday.

The IMD itself has issued a dense rainfall alert for respective districts successful West Bengal. Heavy to precise dense rainfall is expected successful East Midnapore, West Midnapore, South 24 Parganas, and North 24 Parganas districts, with highly dense rainfall imaginable successful immoderate areas. Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly, and Jhargram districts are besides expected to person dense to precise dense rainfall. The prevailing velocity of upwind arsenic of Wednesday is 60-70 kmph with gusts of 80 kmph, and these are apt to summation to 70-90 kmph and 100 kmph respectively betwixt Wednesday evening and Thursday morning. Afterwards, the IMD said, the velocity is apt to decrease.